A Different Tragedy
by Riley.Quinn5
Summary: Oliver Queen got on The Queen's Gambit 7 years ago with his girlfriend, Laurel Lance, and then they are rescued, and they begin fighting for their city.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Oliver Queen got on The Queen's Gambit 7 years ago with his girlfriend, Laurel Lance, and when they are rescued, they fight for the justice of their city, together.

I**do not own Arrow or any of the characters. This story is rated M just to be safe.**

The day that Oliver Queen and his girlfriend Laurel Lance were rescued, was the day he was going to end it. Just as he was lowering the knife to his wrist, he heard Laurel yell for him. He was at her side in seconds, demanding to know what the problem was. Then he caught on to her gaze, spotting the fishing boat from afar. Not a second later, he had shot that fateful arrow that sent them on their trip home, and began their quick trek to the shoreline where Oliver said goodbye to his father for the last time, and began his new quest to atone for his father's sins. As Oliver conversed with the fishermen in Chinese, Laurel gathered their meager belongings and then they walked hand in hand to the ship that would take them away from the seemingly never ending hell they had been put through. Then the bullets started flying.

"Laurel seems fine, at least physically-" Dr. Lamb explained to Quentin and Moira.

"-I do have to warn you though, as fine as she might seem physically, the psychological wounds are most likely much deeper, and she does have a few unexplained scars on her body, but they are old and healed for the most part, save for the concussion and bruised ribs she came in with," he finished.

"So she's okay, right," Quentin asks, still unsure.

"Yes, but I would keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't start losing her grip on reality," he responds, but not finished.

"Oliver, on the other hand, is in much worse condition," Dr. Lamb says hesitantly, looking for permission to go on from Moira.

"Go ahead, I can handle it, but as for Quentin, that's up to him," Moira responds, glancing over at Quentin.

"Please, continue," he says, mostly worrying for Laurel.

Dr. Lamb sighs, then says, "50% of his body is covered in scar tissue, he has second degree burns on his back and arms, and there are at least 12 fractures that never healed properly. And that is just covering any old injuries he had. When he was brought in, there was evidence of a pretty mild concussion, which will require plenty of rest to let his brain heal, but besides that, he should be okay. He also had a broken jaw along with a broke nose, but those injuries are minor and will not cause any damage, besides his jaw clicking occasionally and the nose may be a little crooked, but he will recover from those quickly. Just be careful with what he eats, it might be painful at first, so be patient. Okay, moving down, his left collarbone was cracked in two places, his left shoulder had been separated, and as it seems, dislocated and relocated several times, which has caused looseness in the socket, and that is okay, but he should refrain from moving it too much. His left elbow was completely shattered, his ulna and radius were both broken, and his hand was broken in two places along with three fingers. We weren't able to cast the arm because he does need a shoulder brace to protect his shoulder and collarbone, which are our main concerns because of such close proximity to the heart. On another note, his right arm seemed to be relatively uninjured, but I did find a poorly patched up bullet wound in the shoulder, and I did find old scars littering his forearm that seem to point to self harm. Now as I mentioned before with Laurel, she might have suffered psychological trauma, and I am now inclined to believe that Oliver has as well. Now, as for his chest, all of his ribs were broken, or cracked, which put a lot of pressure on the lung, and when he was jostled, his rib did in fact manage to puncture a lung, called a pneumothorax, and we treated him with a chest tube, which helps ease up the strain on his other lung, and that should lower the chances of one of his lungs failing, but I cannot make any promises. He also had three bullet wounds, one in his chest, near his heart, but luckily, it missed by barely an inch, and the other two were in his abdomen, and we did have to remove his spleen, but aside from that, only the blood loss was what worried me when he came in, and his color seems to be returning nicely. There was another wound in his back that resembled that of a stab wound, which, too, was desperately depleting his blood supply, but again, I managed to stitch him up and he is looking at a full recovery, so I don't suspect a spinal injury, but I need to wait for the swelling to go down before I can confirm this. His right knee did show a tear in the meniscus, but it is minor, and from what I can tell, old, and he should be able to maneuver himself around just fine, but it should be monitored closely, so the tear doesn't grow too much. Lastly, his left ankle was badly sprained, along with a minor break in his foot, but with ice, the ankle should heal nicely, and his he will need crutches for about two weeks to keep strain off of his foot. Now, he is stable at the moment, and before you ask, yes, you can see them, but be very careful with Oliver, because at the moment, he is intubated and sedated to prevent any more surprises. I'm not going to lie to you, it's bad, and there is a 90% chance that Oliver still doesn't make it through the night. But I am hopeful because he seems like a very strong young man, and he is also very stubborn from what I heard. We can only wait to see if that applies here. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to them, I believe Laurel is with Oliver, considering she has refused to leave his side through this whole ordeal," Dr. Lamb finishes, shocking both concerned parents in the room.

As Moira Queen and Quentin Lance followed Dr. Lamb to the ICU to see their children, they were both trying to figure out what to say to their children after 7 years.

Moira couldn't believe this day was here. She was on her way to her son, her son that had gone missing at just the ripe age of 21, not even getting the chance to really live his life yet before it was all ripped away from him. And then she thought about Laurel, the young, beautiful, smart, and bright young woman who chose to date the rich bad boy from the city, against her father's wishes. She thought about whether it brought them closer, or if they had drifted apart. She wondered how they got their infamous scars mentioned by Dr. Lamb, and lastly, she racked her brain to try and remember the last time she talked to her son, and told him that she loved him, and comforted him when he was sad, and for the first time since the Gambit went down, she allowed the memories to flood her mind and take control. She abruptly stopped walking, falling to her knees as she finally came to the realization that she came to all those years ago, except this time, she was crying tears of joy and hope, not fear and anger. Because 7 years ago, she thought about how she never would be able to hug Oliver and tell everything will be alright, because it wasn't. Now, she is finally able to remember without being sad and think about it without breaking down. Now, she can be there for her son again. And that is exactly what she is going to do.

Quentin, on the other hand, was thinking the complete opposite. As he walked down the hallway, being lead to his daughter, he felt a million emotions swirling around inside his chest, excitement, happiness, sadness, fear, confusion, but the strongest one was anger. He felt so much anger that seemed to refuse to go away, no matter how hard he tried to let it go. Anger at Laurel, for getting on that damn yacht with Oliver, hell, for even dating Oliver in the first place. Anger at Oliver for bringing his daughter on that boat, and then, the strongest, was the anger at himself, for not protecting his baby girl. Then he thought about where they were headed, and realized that it was over. All of it. This nightmare is finally ending, he realized. Then all of a sudden Moira was on her knees, sobbing, and before he could even think twice about it, he had his arms wrapped around her, comforting her as he came to the same realization as she did, and in that moment, they locked eyes, and made a vow to each other to put all their opinions aside, and come together to protect their children, no matter what happens in the future.

As Laurel sat next to Oliver on the bed, his limp hand in her tight grip, she looked at his bruised face and started crying, at first with a few tears making their way down her cheeks, then finishing with all out sobbing, not caring how much it jostled her injured ribs, only caring about how Oliver had dove in front of her and protected her with his body as the bullets kept flying, not moving until the island fell quiet once again, the men retreating back to their base. Her heart-wrenching sobs didn't break, not even when strong arms picked her up and held her tight, telling her that everything would be okay, when she realized that Oliver had started coding. She immediately ran back to his side, only to be pushed back by the nurses, who handed her off to the man, who she now recognized as her father, and buried her head in his chest, praying for the deafening beeping to stop and tell her that Oliver was okay, that he wasn't going to leave her again.

"He was trying to save me," Laurel whispered, barely audible to everybody but her father, who kept holding her as if she would disappear into thin air if he ever let go.

"It'll be okay, everything's gonna be okay," Quentin whispered into her ear, holding her closer as the doctor shook his head, and just as he was about to declare Oliver, there was a non-mistakeable beep, the sound of his pulse returning, and when he glanced over at Moira, he saw her hanging on the doorframe as if her life depended on it, and then he watched as she stumbled over to Oliver, barely keeping it together herself. As the hospital staff exited the room, the only sounds heard anymore were Moira and Laurel's sobs, and the now, comforting, beep of the monitor keeping Oliver's vitals.

"Laurel, baby, it's over, come on now, he's okay," Quentin said slowly as he stroked her hair, encouraging her.

All of a sudden, Laurel pulled back, and then threw herself into her father's arms, this time returning the hug, then returning to Oliver's side, Quentin in tow, before they both stepped back and made their way out of the room as they realized that Moira was still coming to grips with Oliver's current state. Laurel exited the room, however, Quentin stopped in the doorway, finally looking closely at Oliver, and saw the bruises covering his face and chest, the gauze covering him here and there, with the shoulder brace and sling, and then the scars. They were everywhere. He was covered in them, and it made him sick. He tried to think of what kind of monster would do that to an innocent man, when he realized that they were suspected to be alone. As he stepped out of the room, Laurel pulled him into a hug once again, and when he pulled back, she smiled. It didn't reach her eyes, but she smiled. And that was enough for now.

When the nurses placed the paddles into the hands of the doctor, it became real. All of it. Oliver was dying, and she was standing there helplessly, as her baby boy was coding on the hospital bed in front of her. Then he was back. There was the beep of his pulse and she heard a relieved sob come from someone in the room, when she realized it came from her. Before she approached, she took in the sight of Laurel wrapped in her father's arms, sobbing, and then cautiously took a step towards her son. He looked horrible. Even without the bruises and bandages and tubes, he had scars everywhere. She felt a strong need to be there, by his side, right now. She gently sat down and began stroking his hand, telling him everything was going to be alright, that it was over. As she felt the presence leave the room, she broke down and sobbed. Then all of a sudden she heard a low groan, and a sharp intake of breath, before Oliver erupted into a coughing fit, and the doctor rushed in once again, calmly telling Oliver to cough, and as he did, he pulled on the tube that was currently stuck down his throat, and pulled it out, and one of the nurses poured water down Oliver's throat, before they left the room again, mentioning that they would be back in a minute.

"Oliver?" Moira asked quietly, not wanting to scare him.

At first she thought that he didn't hear her, and she was about to try again, when she saw a glimpse of her son's bright blue eyes and she nearly squeaked with joy.

"Mom?" Oliver said cautiously.

"Yes, Oliver, it's me honey, you're safe, you're home," Moira comforted as a tear leaked out of the corner of Oliver's bruised eye.


	2. Chapter 2

_3 weeks later_

As the door to the Queen Mansion opened, Thea Queen came racing down the stairs and threw herself into her brother's arms. As Oliver winced in pain, she quickly pulled away and that was when she noticed the fading bruises and bandages covering her brother's body.

"Oliver? What the hell happened to you?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm okay, Speedy, just a little beat," he responded, already starting to head upstairs.

"Woah, woah, woah, not so fast mister," Laurel stopped him, reminding him that they had to change his bandages.

As Laurel took care of Oliver, Thea sneaked in through the doorway, preparing to eavesdrop on their conversation. Instead, what she was met with made her gasp and she almost threw up. It wasn't just the bruises anymore. There were scars littering his body. She was about to demand that he tell her everything, that they talk like they used to. But she couldn't. She froze, just now realizing that she had caught the attention of both people in the room. She didn't even notice Laurel leaving the room until Oliver slowly said her name.

"Thea?" Oliver asked.

Before he could continue, she blurted out, "What happened? I mean, you can't say nothing, because I saw that. That's not nothing. And don't shut down like you always do when you get uncomfortable, or whatever. Ollie, those scars. What happened?" she finally finished, before looking at Oliver to see his eyes filled with one emotion. Pain. She took a step back.

"Speedy, these scars, they don't make me a different person, okay? I don't know how to tell you what you need to know. Because it wasn't a good time. For me, or for Laurel. And there were hard choices that had to be made. But I made them. Okay, and that's all you need to know for now," Oliver explained, and when she was about to protest again, he cut her off with, "But when I am ready, I promise that you will be the first person to know."

She was debating arguing with him, but one more look into his eyes told her to drop it. It was a little scary. She didn't know how to feel. So she let it go. And she moved on. For the moment.

"Okay, Oliver, but you shouldn't have to carry that much on your shoulders. And until you are ready, you have Laurel. She was there, so she can understand you better than me or mom or even Tommy ever will. Okay?" At that, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and left the room to let Laurel finish.

As Laurel passed Thea in the hall, she could see her on the edge. And so she stopped.

"Thea?" she asked.

"Yeah," Thea said, ready to dash.

"I know Oliver doesn't seem like himself, but he's still your brother. I'm saying this because I know from experience. If you push him away, if you let him go, he will do the same back. I made that mistake on the island. He went missing and he was gone for what seemed like weeks. When I got him back, he was different. I let him be, let him cope on his own, and I nearly lost him. He tried to kill himself. I'm not telling you this to scare you, but I need you to understand. Oliver may never admit it, but he needs you. So don't give up just yet. I'm not saying to push him, but once you gain his trust, you'll be his best friend. I promise," Laurel said, before walking away to leave Thea with her thoughts.

As Thea watched Laurel's retreating back, an idea came to her. Walking away, she picked up her phone and called Tommy to let him know that they were going to throw a welcome home party. What better way to get Oliver to be himself than throw him a party full of drugs, alcohol, and girls?

She's right, you know," said Laurel from the doorway.

"I know," Oliver replied.

"I know it's hard for you, but what you did was honorable. No one is going to judge you, if that's what you are afraid of," she said, reaching him and putting her hands on his shoulders, starting to massage him.

"That's not it. I'm worried about you, also, Laurel. Everything that happened there, it's in the past. I decided to put it behind me the second we got onto that fishing boat. Don't get me wrong, I'm still sticking to the plan. I need to right my father's wrongs. But this isn't your fight anymore. It never was. You can move on. Resume your law practice, have a life. You're free, Laurel. I want you to be happy," Oliver told her.

"Oliver, what you did for me there, I'm always going to be in your debt," Laurel whispered into his ear seductively.

Then she pulled away, "But I'm happy with you. I want to stay with you. Okay, I love you, Ollie. And plus, when we got to the island, do you remember what we promised?" Laurel asked.

When Oliver didn't respond, she continued. "We promised that we would see this thing through to the end. No matter what. And that's what we're going to do," she finished.

"God, I love you so much, Dinah Laurel Lance. Now enough with the depressing talk, let's get this show on the road," Oliver said as he smiled up at her and rolled her over onto the bed, kissing her softly. She smiled and kissed him back.


	3. Chapter 3

_The next morning_

When Oliver woke up the next morning, he looked at the clock and saw it was still only 4am. _Perfect._ He got up and changed into more appropriate running clothes. On the island he got into the habit of long runs early in the morning before Laurel woke up and started training with him. He wasn't going to end that now. As he left the mansion, he immediately felt the cool winter air hit his skin. It felt amazing. He stretched and started his run. He savored the burn in his chest as every breath he took got rougher and rougher. He pushed through the spreading numbness in his legs until he could barely feel them. He ignored the incessant pounding of his head and chest in sync, telling him to stop. Until he couldn't anymore. He had run for 4 hours straight. And he was exhausted. So when he climbed the stairs and saw Laurel climbing into the shower, he quickly undressed and joined her.

"Hey, baby," Oliver whispered into her ear.

Laurel smiled and turned around, saying, "How was your run this morning?" She asked with a smirk.

"It was great. I wished you could have joined me though," he responded.

"Oliver, I love you, but there is no way I am waking up in the wee hours of the morning to sprint alongside you," Laurel said, laughing.

He responded with laughter. As he stared at her, he remembered those dreadful nights on the island when he held her as close as he could to protect her from the cold. He eventually got used to it. The never ending cycle of cold rainy nights. But Laurel couldn't. Her body never fully adjusted. She still woke up in the middle of the night shivering, and he just held her close, like he used to on the island. There was no summer there. Just winter. Just cold. And rain. And snow occasionally. But it never got better.

"Ollie?" Laurel cautiously got his attention with her voice, not wanting to startle him.

"Yeah? Sorry. I spaced out again," he apologized.

"It's alright. But I want you to open up to me. I want to know what you are thinking again. I used to be able to look at you and see everything in your eyes. Now you're closed off again, and it's killing me," she asked him.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I can't let anyone see me vulnerable. Thea, my mom, Tommy, not even your dad. I need to be strong for them," he tells her, slightly hesitating, and starting to climb out of the shower.

"Oliver, come on, I mean you can't seriously think there is still a threat. Waller's off our back, Fyers, Ivo, and Slade are all dead. There's no one left," she says.

"I just can't get this bad feeling out of my head. I thought I saw someone following us home from the hospital, but it must have been my imagination. Then I saw someone who looked exactly like Shado," he says, voice breaking a little.

"I know, but that's just most likely PTSD. I saw so many cases when I was still an attorney. Veterans, cops, firefighters, people who have been through horrible things, and they see things that aren't real, and it goes away, I promise, just give it time," she responds.

"Okay," he says unsure. He lets it go for now. "Come on, let's go get breakfast," he says again.

_That night_

As Laurel lay in bed next to Oliver, she thought about the conservation they had in the shower. How he had a bad feeling. Because she did too. She would never admit it, Oliver already carries the world on his shoulders. But her gut instincts were always right before. In Hong Kong, Russia, Lian Yu. And she doesn't think they're wrong now either. Before she could think about it anymore, however, an ear-piercing scream came from the other side of the bed.

She immediately threw herself onto him, hugging him and stroking his hair, whispering soothing words as he screamed and sobbed. She knew what was happening. It had happened before. Shado's death. Akio's. Yao Fei's. Even Slade's. They haunted him. And she understood. Before he could calm down, Thea and Moira burst in, Tommy on their heels. They watched in shock as Oliver thrashed in Laurel's arms, screaming his lungs out. Tommy tried to rush forward to help, and before Laurel could warn him, Tommy had reached Oliver and pinned him down as well. Oliver's reaction was instant. He shot up in bed, revealing all of his scars. He was breathing heavily, drying tear tracks making their way down his face. He looked terrified. But not, at the same time. He looked like a mother bear protecting her cub. Protecting Laurel. From who? Who knows? But he was.

Tommy glanced at Laurel and she had her head down. He recognized that look. He saw it on his father's face after the Undertaking. It was guilt. Pure guilt. Except his father was guilty that it didn't work. Laurel was different. She looked as if she regretted something. And it killed him to not know what it was about. He looked back at Oliver, and that was when he noticed his chest. The scars. Moira said he had some, but this was far worse than he imagined.

"Tommy?" Oliver asked in confusion.

"I… I was here planning with Thea. But we heard you screaming, and ran in," he explained.

"It's okay, we're okay, remember? We're home, Oliver," Laurel whispered to him. Tommy heard it. Then it hit him. Oliver didn't know where he was. He was hurting. Suddenly, without thinking, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Oliver, giving him a big bear hug. He was worried for a minute when Oliver just froze, but then he relaxed as he felt big strong arms return the embrace.

"Tommy? You're real?" Oliver asked, still confused.

"Yeah, buddy. I'm real. So is Thea, and Moira," he said, moving back to let his family move in towards him.

As the Queens hugged, Laurel got out of bed and walked over next to Tommy. She whispered thank you in his ear and went to grab glass of water for Oliver. By the time she got back, Oliver had calmed down and he looked as embarrassed as ever. Then Thea, Moira, and Tommy filed back out of the room to let them get their much needed rest. She climbed back into bed with him and snuggled up into his firm chest. He wrapped his arm around her once again and that's how they fell asleep. In each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up to the sound of Oliver yelling her name. She turned over to hug him only to grab the air. She immediately jumped up out of bed, calling his name. She searched the whole bedroom and bathroom in a panic, only to find him curled into a ball at the side of the bed. She quickly rushed to his side and shook him awake as carefully as she could. As he started awake, he scrambled away and apologized. She glanced over to the doorway to see Thea sadly smiling at the two before she left, presumably to go back to bed. It had been a week, and Oliver still had the violent nightmares from the island.

"I'm sorry," Oliver whispered, voice shaking.

"It's okay, Ollie. Really. We're all here for you," Laurel replied with a comforting smile.

"Was that Thea? In the doorway? I didn't mean to scare her," he said.

"Yeah, but you didn't scare her, she just wanted to make sure you were all right," she responded, helping him back into bed.

"Yeah," he said with a small smile before they both fell back asleep.

_The next morning_

"Thea!" Oliver stopped her on her way to her room.

Turning around, she shot him a smile before answering, "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked nervously.

"Of course! Come in," she said as she ushered him in.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to wake you," he started as he sat on the bed.

"Oliver, it's okay. Don't worry about it. But remember that I'm here for you," she reminded him.

"I know. That's why I'm here," he hesitated.

"Okay. If you're ready to talk, then spill. I want to know just how badass my big brother is," Thea said with a small smile, which was returned by Oliver.

"Well, to start, you know, The Gambit went down. There was a storm. I remember me and Laurel getting thrown into the water, then I woke up on a life raft with Laurel, and—" he stopped abruptly.

"And? Oliver? Look, it's okay, we can take a break—"

"—Dad. We all made it to a life raft. I wasn't going to tell you. But. I mean, you deserve to know what happened to him, at least. I want you to know that Dad loved you, Thea," he continued, slowly.

"Okay. But then what happened?" Thea asked.

"There wasn't enough food and water on the life raft for all of us, so Dad shot himself in the head," Oliver blurted out, letting a tear fall.

"Oh, Oliver," Thea exclaimed, pulling him into a hug as she cried with him.

"Oliver?"

Oliver quickly pulled away as he saw Tommy standing in the doorway of Thea's room.

"Tommy. What are you doing here?" Oliver said.

"I needed to talk to you and Laurel about something. Oliver, I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Tommy said.

"It's okay, Tommy. It happened a long time ago," he said.

"Come on, let's go to this party," Oliver said with a smirk.

"Wait, what?! How did you know? Tommy! Did you tell him?!" Thea said, laughing.

"No! What the hell, Oliver!" Tommy replied laughing as well.

"What? You two weren't very subtle about it," Oliver answered, receiving a harmless slap from Thea.

"Fine, let's go. But I'm mad at you," Thea said, trying to hide a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Tommy had been looking for over a half hour and there was still no sign of Laurel and Oliver. He smirked, knowing exactly what had happened. Then they came sauntering back in with messy hair and smeared lipstick, when Detective Lance stormed the place.

"Detective! How can I help you. This is a private party," Oliver said with a smile.

"Oliver. Adam Hunt's building was just attacked. By a guy in a hood and some lady with a stick. You know anything about that?" Lance questioned.

Oliver looked at Laurel and asked who Adam Hunt was, and before she could answer, Lance cut in.

"He's one of the many millionaire bottom feeders in this city, and I'm surprised you two aren't friends," Lance said with anger in his voice, just now noticing the state of his daughter's hair and lipstick.

"Having fun, Laurel?" He commented on it.

"Yeah, a ton," she answered, smirking.

"Sorry, Detective, I've been out of town, for, a while. How about I offer a reward?" Oliver joked while Lance just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, everybody! Two million dollars to anybody who can find a nutjob in hood and his hot sidekick!" Oliver announced and everybody cheered.

"You son of a—"

"Dad. Maybe we can talk outside for a minute? Okay cool, Oliver join us?" Laurel interrupted.

By the time they reached the hall, Lance had already whirled around and gone to punch Oliver, who had him in a headlock in seconds, but letting go when he realized what he had done.

"So you are the guy in the hood. That's all the proof I needed," Lance said with a smirk.

"Daddy, wait!" Laurel called out. Lance stopped and turned, the smile fading.

"You turn Oliver in, you turn me in too," she said before Oliver cut her off.

"Laurel, no. This wasn't your decision. Let me take the fall," Oliver pleaded with her.

"Oliver. Please, just hold on. Let's explain. Okay, he'll understand," she said. Oliver's arms fell from her waist and let her explain.

"Dad. Please. Before you turn us in, let us explain. Okay, please, just meet us at the mansion tomorrow morning. You'll get it. Please," she asked him.

Lance hesitated before answering. This was Oliver. Laurel was putting her life on the line for Oliver. The second they started dating, he had done everything in his power to split them apart. He took pictures of Oliver cheating, he locked Oliver up, he did everything he could think of. He even found out about Oliver's child. With Samantha Clayton. He dug up the files and took them to Laurel's place. That was when she told him she was going on that damn boat. So he held off. He told himself that he'd show her later, when she got home. Then she never did. And he hated himself for it every day. Maybe Laurel wouldn't have gotten on that boat. She would've been safe at home. But her heart would be broken. And he couldn't live with seeing her like that either. So he agreed. Very reluctantly, he agreed to let them explain. And he let them go.

He almost didn't show. He was going to just blow them off and turn them in. Both of them. They were breaking the law. So he didn't know how he ended up sitting on their couch, listening to his daughter and her boyfriend explaining why they run around the city in masks killing people.

"Dad? Are you listening?" Laurel's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What? Oh, uh, yeah, go ahead," Lance said with hesitation.

"It started with the Gambit, obviously. There was a storm. Suddenly the boat was tipping and we were in the water. I held on to Oliver, and his dad was able to pull us both onto the life raft," Laurel started, letting Oliver explain the rest.

"My, dad, he uh, he. Well there was enough food and water for all three of us, so, he, uh. He shot himself in the head," Oliver said, voice breaking slightly.

At that, Lance just stared at him in disbelief. Robert Queen. Killed himself to save his son and his son's girlfriend. His daughter. He finally snapped out of it and noticed a tear run down Oliver's cheek. Laurel quickly pulled him into a hug, and it only lasted maybe 5 seconds before they pulled away and he wiped his face, continuing.

"He told me before he… you know. He said to right his wrongs. And before you say anything, I know this is not the best way. But we were away from civilization for almost all of the 7 years that we were 'dead.' We had to find a way to survive. That meant killing, yes, and going to extreme measures, you may call it. But I promised him I would. Okay, we found a book, of names, people who were I guess you could say poisoning the city. We only kill if we have to. None of those people in Adam Hunt's building died, right? We don't kill innocent people. Adam Hunt will pay for his wrongs just like everybody on that list appropriately. Including my father. He told me he sinned, that I had to right his wrongs. And I intend on following through on that," Oliver said slowly, gauging Lance's reaction.

He didn't know what to say. Suddenly he was apologizing.

"Oliver, I'm sorry. About your father, I mean. But there is something I can't get out of my head. When you were in the hospital, Laurel said something. She said that you saved her. What did she mean?" Lance pushed, and Laurel immediately protested.

"Dad—"

"Laurel, it's okay. He has every right to know," Oliver said.

"Thank you," Lance said, letting Oliver explain.

"You probably figured this out on your own by now, but we weren't alone on that island," Oliver said, and when Quentin nodded his head, he continued, "The people there tortured us. I kept them off Laurel's back as much as I could, and we were always hiding. Eventually, we killed off their camp. Very slowly, it took about a year, but soon, we were free and there was no more threat. We met this guy named Slade, we became like brothers. He's the one who taught me to fight. Anyway, another group of mercenaries showed up and took over the island again from a freighter. They got me, but I was able to help Laurel get away. Her and Slade were able to save me and we took down that freighter, but that was the only way off the island, so we were still stuck. Then skip forward to the fishing boat that rescued us, before we could make it to the boat, a bunch of soldiers attacked us and held us hostage. I protected Laurel, didn't let them hurt her, but that made them mad, and you know what happened, you saw that in the hospital."

Lance listened carefully. As Oliver's explanation continued, his respect grew. Laurel was alive because of Oliver. He sacrificed himself for her and that was enough for him. He didn't even think about his answer. He agreed to their whole operation. On one condition, that is. That he helped them. Whatever they needed, he was their wingman. Luckily, they didn't turn him down, but they were still hesitant. Before he left, he shook Oliver's hand. As he got into his car, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Oliver had always been something to worry about. He didn't want Laurel getting involved with him, he thought she would end up hurt. But now he knew he didn't have to worry. And he actually smiled a genuine smile for the first time in seven years.


	6. Chapter 6

Tommy was surprised to say the least at Oliver's spontaneous decision to run a nightclub. He tried to be supportive, he really did. But, Oliver? Running a nightclub? The thought actually cracked him up. He left as quick as possible, trying to get away before making it worse for himself. So when Oliver showed up at his apartment that night asking for an assistant manager, he almost laughed in his face. But then he thought about it. He would make good money, even have fun doing it. So before he knew it, he was working for Oliver Queen, one thing he promised would never happen. Which is what led them here, to the basement of the in-construction nightclub. Where they were having an extremely heated argument.

**24 hours earlier**

"Let's go," Oliver said into his earpiece.

"Copy," Laurel answered just before jumping in and attacking the compound. They hadn't expected this to come up so soon. Laurel had taken on Emily Nocenti's case and within hours, they were going after Martin Somers as a warning. She took down the men pretty quickly, but Oliver didn't have much luck with Somers. He blatantly refused. So by the time they got back to their current hideout, there was barely a minute before Oliver had taken out his anger on the dummies and salmon ladder.

"How's he holding up?" Lance asks his daughter as they watch Oliver brutally work out.

"Okay. He's still having pretty vivid nightmares but they're getting a little better," Laurel told him.

"What is it?" Lance asks, seeing that something is still bothering her. Laurel looks at him in confusion. "Come on. You're my daughter. I know when something is wrong."

"It's just that he's pushing himself too hard. He told you about his father," she began, and seeing her father nod, she continued, "After he…died, Oliver was hell bent on making things right. What he said was true, he protected me with his life, but that first time he was captured, when he got back, he was quiet, reserved. It kind of scared me. That's the first time I saw this Oliver," she finished, looking at Oliver on the salmon ladder.

"What happened, then. I mean, he told me most of it," Lance questioned.

"He just got tougher. The men kept coming for us, they wanted Oliver. And each time I got him back, he got more and more distant. I almost lost him, but eventually time helped. He learned to deal with pain and withstand it. That's what's bothering me. That's what he's doing right now. Dealing with the pain. It's been a while, sure, but you saw him in the hospital, dad. He's still hurting, and he just pushes through it. He ripped his stitches last week, and didn't tell me until he passed out from blood loss. I'm scared, daddy," Laurel said, burying herself in her father's chest. Lance looked up at Oliver with concern before sitting Laurel down to calm her.

"Laurel, look. You know I was never a big fan of Queen. But, after hearing what you went through, what he did for you. Whatever he needs, I'm here. He has a lot of people, including you. Be strong for him, Laurel. He was for you," Lance tells her before leaving them to talk.

Laurel got up to talk to Oliver, but before she got a chance, she saw him suiting up and typing on the computer.

"What is it?" She asked frantically.

"Stay here. I need you to guide me into this building. There are three guards, I can take them down with arrows. Then I can get to Somers, and this time, I'm not leaving until he gets his justice. I need you on lookout," he explained, and before she could argue, he was out the door.

She sat down and waited. Oliver had left hours ago to go after Somers. She had called her father about 2 hours ago. She knew what Oliver had done in Hong Kong, but she forgave him, considering the circumstances. Akio's death had hit them pretty hard after that. But now, this wasn't revenge, or justice. Oliver was heading for the edge, very fast. She stood up abruptly, throwing a quick explanation over her shoulder to her father before going to stop him.

"Dad, stay on lookout for me, I'm going after Oliver," she said.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Lance demanded.

"Look, Dad, I don't have time to explain, but we did some things we weren't proud of, and Oliver can't get lost in himself again. I won't let it happen. I need to go get him out of there. Just stay on watch, please," Laurel asked, leaving when he reluctantly agreed.

As Laurel entered the building, her father's voice came over the earpiece telling her Oliver's location. He also reported that there were ten men with him. She ran faster, finally reaching the door. She heard grunts and short yells before kicking it down and seeing Oliver, tied to a chair, bleeding and bloodied. She paused, not expecting it, before attacking the men, finishing with stabbing Martin Somers. She grabbed Oliver and together they ziplined out, just as Oliver passed out.

"Oliver? Hey, Ollie, stay with me. Oliver!" Laurel screamed as she set him down outside the building. "Come on, Oliver," she says as she pounds on his chest, tears beginning to pour down her face.

Suddenly she heard sirens, making her push harder on Oliver's chest. He finally let out an almost inaudible gasp, and Laurel dragged him into the surrounding trees before he could make out his surroundings.

"What happened?" Oliver slurred, trying to sit up.

"No, don't sit up. You went after Somers by yourself and got captured. Ollie, you need to stop pushing yourself so hard," she told him. He just sighed.

"I'm sorry, okay. Really, I am," he said, getting up despite Laurel's protests and grabbed her hand as he started to run back to their motorcycles.

When they got back to the bunker, they didn't count on anyone being inside, so when they opened the door to see Tommy standing there, they ran to the basement as fast as they could.

"Laurel! Oliver! What the hell happened?" Lance yelled as soon as they descended the stairs.

"We just ran into some trouble, it's not a big deal," Oliver said, going to change.

"Wait, Oliver, you're not going anywhere yet," Laurel said, making Oliver sit down to check his injuries. As she took his hood and shirt off, Lance winced at the extensive bruising and cuts covering Oliver's chest and torso. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad!"

"What are you talking about?" Oliver said, looking down and raising his eyebrows. "Oh. Well, sorry, I guess I didn't really notice."

"Whatever. The next time you get hurt, no matter what, you're telling me," Laurel said, beginning to clean his cuts when they froze, hearing the door open.

"Oliver? You down here?" Tommy's voice drifted down to them, setting them all into motion, Laurel and Oliver changing as fast as they could, Lance assisting Oliver.

"Tommy?" Oliver said, letting Laurel continue to clean his back. "What are you doing down here?"

"I thought I heard voices. What are you doing?" He said, coming into view.

"Nothing. It's nothing," Oliver answered too quickly.

"Holy shit," Tommy muttered, glancing around the room before setting his eyes on Oliver, who was currently shirtless. "Oliver?"

"Tommy, look. It's not what you think," Oliver began, not bothering to hide it before Tommy cut him off.

"You're that guy. You're the fucking vigilante. How did I not figure this out sooner?" Tommy said, just now noticing Oliver's injuries, old and new. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Tommy, let me explain," Oliver began again.

"No! Oliver, how could you not tell me. I'm your best friend. How could you keep this from me?" Tommy yelled, getting angry.

"I didn't want you to get hurt! It was too dangerous! You don't know the kind of things that can happen!" Oliver yelled, startling Tommy, who went silent, before finding his voice again.

"I can take care of myself, Oliver. I've been doing it for a long time now. You've been gone. I've been alone. And you're telling me that this is to protect me?" Tommy shot back.

"No, I'm not. I'm doing this because of my father. He made mistakes, Tommy, and I have to right them. You heard what I told Thea. That was part of it. You don't know what happened, what went down. So don't put this on me!" Oliver yelled.

"Oliver, wake up! I'm not mad that you're running around in a hood and leggings. I'm mad that you thought you couldn't trust me," Tommy finally got out.

"What?" Oliver said, calming down.

"Oliver, I'm a little mad that you didn't tell me, yes. But I'm even more mad at myself that you thought you had to do it alone. You know I would stand with you, for anything. I guess this counts," Tommy explained.

"Tommy, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but there are dangerous people out there. More than drug dealers and bodyguards. I was telling the truth. I couldn't stand to see you get hurt," Oliver said.

"I believe you, Oliver. But I want to be a part of this," Tommy said.

"Okay. But you stay here. I'm not losing any more people that I care about in this fight," Oliver said, walking away to the dummies as Laurel finished his back.

"Is he okay?" Tommy asked Laurel, who shrugged and went to spar with Oliver.

"From what Laurel told me, he's not," Lance said, walking over to Tommy.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"She said that Oliver made some pretty noble choices on that island, and every time, she lost a little bit more of Oliver," Lance said. "But I probably shouldn't be telling you that, so."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Tommy said, glancing over at Oliver and Laurel and saw them going at it pretty hard. His thoughts started to wander and he thought back to the conversation he had shared with Oliver, and his words. 'You don't know what happened, it's too dangerous'. He suddenly felt a strong need to get fresh air, he kept running the images through his mind. Oliver's bare back and chest. The blood and bruises. He rushed outside and got in his car and drove home as fast as he could to clear his mind. He just didn't see the other car speeding right towards him.


	7. Chapter 7

He was so caught up in himself, in his own head, that he almost missed it. That noise he was constantly on alert for. He was always listening, and the minute he heard it, he whirled his head around to face Laurel, who looked just as concerned.

"Did you hear that?" Oliver said, already rushing upstairs.

"Hear what?" Lance asked in confusion.

"Yeah. It sounded like a crash," Laurel said, following Oliver with Lance on her heels.

When they rushed outside, they saw the devastation from the crash site. Tommy's car was the first thing to catch Oliver's eye. It was flipped upside down, and he rushed towards it without thinking. He got to the car and climbed inside, not caring about the flames that were licking at him dangerously. He quickly got Tommy out, passing him off to Laurel. Right when he stepped out, however, was when it decided to explode. Throwing Oliver 50 feet in the air. He landed on his back with a hard thud and everything went black seconds later.

The lights were blinding. But he couldn't figure out where they were. His eyes refused to open, and he recognized a voice by his bedside. It was Thea. He hadn't expected that, he was sure that Laurel would be her stubborn self about being there every second until he woke up. But as his eyes fluttered slightly, he became more aware, if very little. He told himself to open his eyes, to move, but he couldn't. He felt trapped. Then he stopped struggling and he let himself listen to her words. Except they weren't words, exactly, they were muffled by her sobs. She was begging him to wake up, to come back to her. But he couldn't. And all he could do was lay there, helpless, as his sister begged him to come back.

Laurel was sick of all these news reports and newspapers forming theories about Oliver. It had been a week since Oliver climbed into that car and saved Tommy, who ended up with nothing but a mild concussion and two cracked ribs, presumably from the steering wheel. She let out a frustrated sigh as she read the reports for what seemed like the millionth time. She saw Tommy walking down the hall from Oliver's room and got up quickly.

"Thea's still in there. She's pretty broken up. Can't stop crying," Tommy reported. Laurel had finally given some space and allowed Thea and Tommy to visit, but she was still anxious every time she was left waiting. They had been taking turns on watch the entire week, none of them really going home.

"Ugh. Thanks Tommy, I really appreciate it," Laurel said, slightly disappointed. She was hoping he would have made some progress, if any.

"He'll come out of this, Laurel, you know he will. If you two can survive on a deserted island for seven years, I'm sure he can survive a little explosion," Tommy joked, trying to force a smile.

"Tommy, you didn't see how far he flew. There was blood everywhere," Laurel said, holding back tears as Tommy pulled her in for a hug.

"Oliver. Ollie, please. I just got you back. I need you to come back. I don't think I can survive losing you again," Thea pleaded, holding Oliver's hand tightly, getting no response.

Suddenly Oliver's eyes flew open and he started gasping for air. His hands clawed at the tube down his throat as he struggled to breathe. Thea ran to get a doctor and he quickly started compressions as he noticed Oliver had stopped breathing again. Tears fell freely down Thea's face as she watched in horror. Laurel and Tommy had run in the second they heard the code, and Laurel wrapped her arms around Thea, trying to comfort her. Thea buried her head in Laurel's chest just as Oliver's pulse came back.

They all sighed in relief as the doctor explained that one of his broken ribs had punctured a lung, creating a pneumothorax, but that they had fixed it. He said that Oliver was in a medically induced coma. That was when their hearts nearly stopped. He said Oliver may never wake up if his condition continues to worsen, especially since he had also developed pneumonia.

Tommy suddenly collapsed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and Laurel and Thea frantically tried to wake him, with little success, as the doctors rolled him into an exam room, then rolling him back out not seconds later, heading to the operating room. The doctor briefly explained that his brain had begun to swell, that it was vital they get the swelling down immediately. Then they left, leaving Laurel and Thea standing in the middle of the hall, completely shocked, until Moira appeared with Quentin, and both girls broke down in their parents' arms.


	8. Chapter 8

_One month later_

They were beginning to lose hope. Oliver and Tommy had both been laying in a hospital bed for a month now. The doctor had said that Tommy's brain was beginning to show improvement, which was good. He should wake up soon. He said the same about Oliver's lungs, but that was 2 weeks ago.

Laurel was so caught up in her thoughts she almost didn't notice Tommy's eyes fluttering open.

"Laurel?" He whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Tommy? Oh, god, Tommy, we were so worried," Laurel whispered back, rushing to get him water. As Tommy sat up, he saw the worry lines on Laurel's forehead and immediately knew it was about Oliver.

"Oliver?" He asked, hopeful.

She just shook her head and looked away. Tommy muttered an apology before she continued, much to his surprise.

"The doctor said there is a good chance he'll wake up, but they don't know for sure. His body took way too much damage all at once and he needs a chance to rest," Laurel explained.

Just then Thea came running into the room with a huge smile on her face.

"He's awake! The doctor is taking the tube out now!" Thea exclaimed.

It took less than a second for Laurel to get to Oliver's room, and it looked the same as it did for the entire month she had spent here, except for the increased number of hospital staff watching the scene. Oliver Queen was kind of a celebrity. She ran to Oliver's side and held his hand just as he coughed the tube out.  
"Laurel?" He whispered.

"Yeah. I'm here, Ollie, I'm here," Laurel whispered back, smiling. He just smirked.

"Did you really think you would get rid of me that easily?" He joked, making Laurel roll her eyes.

One week later

"Come on, Laurel, I finally berated the doctors enough to let me out of this place early, so the least you can do is look happy about it," Oliver whined as Laurel leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and a faint smile on her lips, which quickly turned into a grin and a laugh.

"Stop it, I'm trying to be serious. You're still hurt," she said, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist from behind.

"Maybe, but it's nothing I can't handle," Oliver said, turning around to meet her lips in a kiss.

"Yeah, maybe. But I'm still gonna worry. And nothing strenuous. I know you know what I mean," Laurel scolded him.

"Oh, I'm sure he does," Tommy joked, walking into the room.

"Tommy. How you feeling. Rested?" Oliver said.

"Definitely. Not. What do you think I've been doing while you're stuck here?" Tommy said.

"All right, well, as long as your head's doing fine, I guess what you do in your free time is up to you, buddy. But I am ready to get out of here, so should we?" Oliver said, gesturing to the door.

"Yes. For sure. Let's go," Tommy said, following the couple out.

At the Queen Mansion

"Hey, Oliver? Can, we, uh, talk? In private, I mean?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, sure man. Give me a second," Oliver said to Laurel as he pulled Tommy away.

"Yeah, so, about what happened before, you know, everything," Tommy began.

"Tommy—" Oliver cut him off.

"No. Oliver, I meant what I said. I want to help you. Both of you," Tommy said, stopping Oliver in his tracks.

Oliver smiled and clapped him on the back. "Okay, well then. Welcome to the team, buddy."

They laughed and all went to join everybody else in the living room.


	9. Chapter 9

**3 months later**

I was worried. Oliver had been struggling ever since the accident. So had Tommy. But, of course, they both have to be stubborn as hell, so both of them have been refusing to go see a doctor. Oliver's been having trouble breathing, and Tommy just forgets the simplest things. They both claim that the doctor said it is normal.

Whenever we go out at night, Oliver's always panting over the coms and it drives me crazy. It also drives me crazy when Tommy asks the same question 10 times. Which is why I have forced both of them into the car and drove them to the hospital myself for a check-up.

And, the doctor says they're both doing well. Which makes me even more angry. But hey, I can't argue with him.

"Laurel, hey, you with me?" Oliver's hand waves in front of my face and I look at him, realizing I spaced out. Again. I worry way too much.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Sorry," I apologize, refocusing my attention to the scumbag we're hunting down tonight.

"This guy is the worst of the worst. He—" Oliver suddenly stopped short to ask me if I was okay.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm fine," I say, regretting the words a second later as I find myself rushing upstairs to the bathroom. When I get there I barely make it to the toilet before I start puking.

A couple seconds later I feel Oliver pull my hair back as I finish. I lean back against him as I breathe heavily.

"What was that?" I heard Oliver say as I thought the same thing. I had no idea.

GREENARROWGREENARROWGREENARROWGREENARROW

I couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. There was no way. I couldn't be. How was I going to tell Oliver? I tuned the doctor out after hearing that I was pregnant. I couldn't concentrate. I quickly excused myself and got to my car as quick as possible.

I needed to get away. I didn't even realize I was back at the mansion until my vision cleared and I saw Oliver's concerned face staring back at me.

"—rel? Hey, you with me?" Oliver asked frantically.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Sorry," I mumble, seeing Oliver's confused expression. He quickly steered me into an empty room.

"I just got back from a doctor's appointment," I say as way of explanation. He looked even more confused.

"He said I was pregnant," I blurt out, not thinking. Oliver took a step back.

I grabbed his hand before he could run away. "Oliver."

"We're having a baby?" Oliver whispered.

"Yeah. We are," I say smiling.

He let out a laugh and enveloped me in a hug before kissing me and carrying me to our bedroom.

As he threw me onto the bed he ripped his shirt off and began trailing kisses across my collarbone as he unclasped my bra. He slowly ran his tongue down my stomach and I let out a moan as he entered me.

He finished after what felt like hours, and we lay there, side by side, before starting again once we caught our breath.

GREENARROWGREENARROWGREENARROWGREENARROW

**Oliver's POV**

I couldn't believe it. I never thought I would have kids, even before the island. The island almost confirmed it. I didn't want a child to be brought into this life. But now that it was happening, I wouldn't ask for anything else. I turned over and smiled at Laurel's sleeping form.

I gently placed my hand on her stomach, imagining the baby that was growing inside of her. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning," I whispered to her, and she smiled.

"Good morning," she whispered back, but then the smile faded and I lifted her chin.

"Hey, what's going on in that head of yours?" I say with a smirk.

She smiles and responds, "I just don't know how this is going to work. How am I going to back you up out there now that I'm pregnant?"

"You don't have to be there, baby, as long as I can hear you in my ear, that's good enough for me," I say.

She smiles and our lips connect, but not for long as Thea barges into our room.

"Oh, did I interrupt something. Whoops," Thea says sarcastically.

"Seriously, Thea. Was that really necessary?" I ask.

"Yep. Mom says to come down for breakfast," Thea reports before leaving the room.

"Ugh. I guess we have to get up. But, on the bright side, I'm eating for two now, so I'm just happy that someone else is cooking the meals," Laurel jokes.

I laugh and we get up, redressing ourselves before heading downstairs.

As we take our seats at the table, Thea stares at us and smirks. "Fun night?" She asks.

I glare at her in response.

"So, I have some news," Laurel says, standing up. She takes my hand and pulls me up with her.

"We're pregnant!" Laurel says.

Thea chokes on her water and tries not to laugh. "Wait, are you being serious right now?"

"Yeah. We're having a baby," I say again, and she looks like she's barely holding in her laughter.

"Okay, um, congrats?" She says and Laurel starts laughing.

"Thanks. And Raisa, thank you for this delicious meal, cause my baby will definitely enjoy it," Laurel says and Raisa smiles and nods.

Later, at the bunker, when Lance shows up, we decided to tell him too.

"Hey dad," Laurel greeted him.

"Hey sweetheart. How you feeling?" He asked.

"Um, well, that's what I needed to talk to you about," she started, and Lance froze, immediately checking her over to make sure she was okay.

"No, dad, I'm okay, just, you know. Pregnant," she said and at first, I thought he was going to kill me. Then, his face softened and broke into a smile, and he hugged Laurel.

"You're pregnant? As in, Oliver Queen, for once in his life, is going to have some sort of responsibility in life? Wow, I never thought I'd see the day," Tommy says, walking in, and I roll my eyes.

"Hey Tommy. Watcha doing here?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, just checking on the nightclub. But I also wanted to talk to you about something. Extremely important," he says.

"Okay. What is it?" I ask cautiously.

"Well, me and Thea were talking, and, well, we want to join the team. And not just to sit around and watch through a computer while you go out there. We want you to train us. Teach us how to fight, so we can go out there, with you and Laurel, provide some back up," he says.

"Tommy?" I say.

"Yeah?" He responds.

"Please don't tell me that you told Thea about my little alter ego," I say.

"Oh god, you know, Oliver, it just slipped out. And she's totally cool with it. Really!" He says, struggling to protect himself.

"Man, it's fine. Okay, just you better not slip up to anyone else. And I will train you if that's what you really want. But I won't let you go out there until I say you are ready. But Thea, man, I don't know. I couldn't bear it if she got hurt," I say.

"Oliver, come on man. She wants to help. And she's not a little kid anymore, okay. Let her make her own decisions," Tommy protests.

I hesitate before answering.

"Alright. I'll train you guys."


	10. Chapter 10

Thea groaned in frustration as she was thrown down to the mat for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

She stormed over to the other side of the bunker and slid down the wall. Oliver laughed and followed, sitting next to her.

They had been training for almost four months now and Thea still wasn't getting any better, or at least she thought she wasn't.

"I suck. Oliver, I'm never going to be as good as you. Or even Tommy," she whines.

"Thea, it takes practice. Plus, Tommy started before you. And he just started coming with me. And most of it is easy jobs," Oliver tells her.

"But he can still go with you. He's good enough for that," Thea says.

"Yes, but I am constantly watching his back, which takes away from the real mission. If you came too then we wouldn't get anything done," he says.

Thea thinks for a moment before standing up. "I think I'm done for the day. But tomorrow, we're going harder than ever," she says with a smile.

Oliver smiles back as she walks away and leaves the bunker.

The second she is gone, his face falls. He leaves a few minutes after her and goes out on the streets.

It doesn't take him very long to find his old dealer, considering he's still dealing in the same place.

"Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't Oliver Queen," his dealer says.

"Yeah, well, I'm looking to get back in business," Oliver says.

"Fine with me. You'll make me a ton of money, and you're reliable."

"Cool. Meet me at my dad's old warehouse, tomorrow 11pm. You tell anybody about our little arrangement, you're dead," Oliver warned.

"For the road," the guy says as he places a bag into Oliver's hand.

Oliver nods his thanks and walks away, pulling his hoodie back up and keeping his head down.

By the time he reached the bunker to drive home, the memories of his time… away, had taken over his mind and he was struggling to stick with reality.

Luckily, he managed to drive all the way home without crashing. By that time the flashbacks had gotten so bad that he didn't even stop to say hi to Thea or his mom, instead stumbling up the stairs with Laurel on his tail.

He didn't even hesitate to lay the drugs out on the table in front of him and do a few lines, the relief completely worth it.

Laurel sighed from the doorway and walked over to where he was on his knees next to the coffee table in their room.

"The flashbacks are coming back?" She asked knowingly.

He managed to nod but nothing would come out of his mouth.

She simply wrapped her arms around him and they lay there on the floor together as tears finally escaped his eyes.

ARROWARROWARROWARROWARROWARROWARROWARROWARROWARROW

I tensed as I felt somebody enter the room. I opened my eyes to slits and I relaxed as I saw my mom standing in the doorway.

She smiled sadly at me and walked over to the couch in my room. I got up and joined her, knowing it was time that I gave her some sort of an explanation.

"I know, Oliver," she said softly.

I looked at her confused, and she elaborated. "The guy in the hood. The Arrow, as they're calling him. It's you, isn't it."

I kept my expression neutral but inside I was freaking out. "What are you talking about?"

"Oliver, I'm your mother. You and Laurel disappear for hours, you make up all these excuses that don't add up. It's not too hard to figure out," she whispers.

She doesn't give me a chance to explain before she pulls me into a hug and starts rubbing my back like she used to when I was sick.

"Oliver, you're my son. I will protect you no matter what. And that includes supporting you as the Arrow," she says.

I nod as I pull away and she smiles at me and goes to walk away when I stop her.

"It hasn't been easy, you know. I mean, coming home. I dreamed about making it home for seven years, and now that I'm actually home… It's just harder than I thought it would be. Everybody expects so much from me all of a sudden," I say.

She walks back over and sits down again. "Oliver, nobody expects you to be perfect. People will understand. People like Thea," she says.

"Yeah," I mutter. "Thanks, mom."

"I'm always here Oliver. I'll always be here."


	11. Chapter 11

I checked my watch again and cursed as my dealer was now twenty minutes late. A minute later I finally see him walking over.

"Sorry I'm late. Some asshole wouldn't stop hassling me," the guy says.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't let it happen again. Where is it?" I ask anxiously.

He holds out a bag, and I open it to see exactly what was promised, so I toss him the bag full of money and we both turn, walking away silently.

I return to the bunker and I quickly lay out some of the cocaine, feeling the relief come with the drugs.

I don't even notice Tommy come up behind me until his hand claps down on my shoulder, and I react out of instinct.

I grab his arm and flip him around, throwing him over my shoulder and slamming him onto his back on the ground.

He groans in pain and it takes me a minute to actually realize that it's Tommy laying on the ground in front of me.

"Damn. Tommy, I'm sorry," I slur, holding out a hand to help him up.

"No, it's my fault. I know better than to sneak up on you like that. I should be the one apologizing," he says.

He smirks at me as he notices the drugs laid out on the table. "Having a party without me?"

I laugh and I motion to the drugs and he happily leans down, snorting some of it.

He stumbles slightly and laughs as he grabs the wall for support, but then he gets serious.

"Really though. Why are you getting started up with all this shit again? This isn't exactly the best timing, Ollie," he says.

"I know. But between you and me, this is the only thing that helps. With all the shit from the island, I mean," I tell him.

He looks at me for a long moment before speaking. "Oliver, you need to talk to Laurel."

"I know. I was going to head there right after I clean this up," I lie.

He gives me a look that says he doesn't believe me, so I smile and place my hand on his shoulder before whispering into his ear.

"I'll talk to her when I'm ready," I whisper, then walk away, the bag still in my hand.

I make it to my car pretty quickly, and the drive home is much shorter than usual, with my speeding worse than normal.

Laurel greets me right at the front door the second I return home and she smiles sadly at me. I can tell she already knows what's happening, but I'm happy that she doesn't say anything until we reach our room.

"Ollie, talk to me," she pleads with me as I climb into bed. "Please, Ollie. You can't let this control you."

I know she is just trying to be there for me, but the pressure of everybody trying to get me to open up all of a sudden caught up to me and my breathing hitched.

I found that I couldn't breathe and her hands on my bare back just sent me further into a tailspin.

My mind supplied me with the word panic attack but I still couldn't manage to get my breathing under control.

I could hear Laurel begin yelling and seconds later Thea appeared in the doorway, running over and trying to shake me back to reality.

Then someone slapped me across the face and my eyes cleared, my lungs seemingly working again, and I could concentrate on actual words again.

I looked up and Thea was staring at Laurel in shock, already arguing with her about what had happened.

"Thea, it was the only way. Nothing else was working," Laurel says.

"But did you have to slap him? I'm sure I could have shook him out of it," Thea argues.

"It's fine, Thea. She's right. It was the only thing that would have worked at that point," I say, and Thea gives me a look that reads 'pity.'

I know she doesn't mean to, but I knew people would look at me that way eventually.

She nods and walks out of the room, only glancing backwards once before disappearing around the corner.

"Are you okay?" Laurel asks me hesitantly, her hand hovering above my forehead.

I nod in response, simply laying back down and allowing Laurel to lay down next to me as we slowly fell back to sleep restlessly.


End file.
